The Forsyth-Barr effect

 rugby 365

The Forsyth-Barr effect Tue, 18 Sep 2012 16:30  

There could be a scientific explanation for the poor goal-kicking at Dunedin's enclosed Stadium.

The Forsyth-Barr Stadium has been a tough venue for goal-kickers ever since it was first used at the World Cup last year, which has been something of a conundrum considering the fact that it has a roof.

Springbok flyhalf Morne Steyn was the latest player to battle off the tee, when he missed a number of seemingly straight forward kicks in the Springboks' defeat on Saturday, and scientist Brian Wilkens believes he has an explanation.

Wilkens told Fairfax Media that the issue relates to the lateral Magnus/Robins force, which makes any spun ball curve when the air flowing around it leaves the surface earlier on one side than on the other.

"In rugby, most kickers don't strike the ball dead centre and their boot doesn't come through straight in line with the target; they come around the ball slightly," Wilkins said.

"They're almost guaranteed to put a slight sideways spin on the ball. It's the same sort of thing as table tennis, when you put side spin on the ball it swerves.

"It's the smooth non-turbulent air [under the roof] which accentuates all these phenomena. It's only got to be a very slight rotation for it to take off and develop into a big curve," he added.

If this is indeed the case - why does it not happen at the Millemium stadium when the roof is closed?     I still think that it is not the stadium that is to blame - it is the kicker.   Morne was particularly bad on Sturday and we should accept that - but his general goalkicking in other tests were also sub-par.   Frncois;s one kick was just short - but accurate - and so were those of Goosen.  ll three were much more difficult kicks that those of Morne.   In the case of Morne - the misses was on both sides of the posts - so the simple answer is there is really no exteriror factor here.

In any event two of the kicks missed by Steyn was relatively easy - one went to the left and the other to the right of the posts.   That brings me to the conclusion that it is a case of bad aiming and probably psychological.   One of the reasons is that in Morne's case once he missed two kicks - the rest is bound to miss.   That was the case when he played for SA in Under 21 rugby  in Argentina where he missed all kicks at goal in the final - was corrected in 2009 and 2010 - and wenrt wrong again this year - when he in reality  became an unrelaibke kicker at goal     His kicking in Cape Town was accptable - but in other tests it went awry and his actual success rate in all tests at this stage is just about 40% - not acceptable at all.

 One could argue the following:

Missing on both sides is psychological and the result of overcompensating.......

Cruden, Goosen and Frans Steyn missed kicks that were within their reach.....

I do see your point Mike and in no way do I attempt to telk up Morne's bad showing. 

I only attempt to point out that we should not negate the other sede of the argument blindly.

i agree that morne just had a bad day, a reaaaaaaal bad day with the kicking boots, but i would like there to be more research in the matter, cos between a similar thread i posted and this article. it does raise some interesting questions. :o)

saSUE I would like to think that the Bok practising on an out of town joint in the rain and the abs practising at the stadium itself was nothing sinister - but I cant. Bwahahahhahahaha